Night and Day
Sex plays a prominent role in the various themes running though this latest
Jesse Stone novel. Jesse, the Chief of Police of Paradise, Massachusetts, is confronted with three situations, not to mention his own personal mystery concerning his feelings for his ex-wife. He has to analyze and solve each of them in his own way.
First of all, there is the matter of the school principal who gathers all the girls in the locker room to inspect their underclothing, leading to a parental uproar. The principal is married to the managing partner of Boston's largest law firm, with political connections, so Jesse is hamstrung in his efforts to take any action against her. Then there is the wife-swapping swingers club, an activity that breaks no laws. However, the child of one of the couples informs Jesse of the effect on her and her brother, asking him to help her in some way.
Then there is the voyeur who calls himself the Night Hawk (no relation to Hawk of the Spenser series, thankfully) Soon, peeping in people's windows isn't a sufficient thrill and he begins invading homes and forcing women to undress so he can photograph them. The peeping began at night but the escalation starts in the day, giving rise to the title of the book.
Written in Parker's terse style of short sentences and chapters, with the usual smart-witted language, the book is a joy to read. And each solution to a problem is ingeniously worthy of a shrewd Chief, no less a very talented author. Jesse comes up with an original and fitting plan for each of his problems. As usual, the sparkling dialogue of the master keeps the reader engaged and amused. Highly recommended.
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